Problems · NHTSA complaints

1999 Mitsubishi Eclipse problems

Owners filed 135 complaints about the 1999 Mitsubishi Eclipse with NHTSA between Jan 1999 and Mar 2019. The most-cited component is power train (30).

Complaints
135
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
10
Reported by owners
Fires
3
Reported by owners
Injuries
5
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Power train30
  2. Structure25
  3. Engine and engine cooling21
  4. Suspension14
  5. Steering13
  6. Electrical system8
  7. Service brakes, hydraulic8
  8. Wheels7
  9. Latches/locks/linkages7
  10. Equipment7
  11. Seats3
  12. Vehicle speed control3
  13. Air bags3
  14. Visibility2

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Oct 30, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
199919
200013
200120
200224
20036
200420
200511
20066
20077
20083
20092
20100
20110
20122
20130
20140
20150
20160
20170
20180
20192

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Power train

30 reports
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL DETACHED FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED OVER AND TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE CONTROL ARM, AXLE, AND TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER AND WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 206,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 7, 2019Steering, Suspension, Power trainODI 11184936

Structure

25 reports
“APRIL 2010 WHILE DRIVING MY VEHICLE A 1999 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE RS HATCHBACK AT APPROXIMATELY 20 MILES PER HOUR, THE 1999 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE RS HATCHBACK SUDDENLY LOSS CONTROL AND CRASHED ONTO THE ROADWAY. I HEARD A LOUD NOISE AND THE CAR INSTANTLY LOSS USE OF CONTROL IN STEERING AND THE CAR PROCEEDED TO LEAVE THE ROAD ONTO A GRASSY MEDIAN TO MY LEFT SIDE. I DISCOVERED THE FRONT CONTROL ARM WAS LYING ON THE ROADWAY DETACHED FROM THE AXEL AND TIRE. THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE WHEEL WAS WEDGED AT AN ANGLE BETWEEN THE FRAME AND THE DISASSEMBLED PARTS OF THE CAR. I HAD THE 1999 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE TOWED HOME AND REPLACED THE FAULTY PARTS WITH ANOTHER FRONT CONTROL ARM & LOWER BALL JOINT PURCHASED FROM AUTO ZONE. IN 2011, THE SAME VEHICLE A 1999 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE RS HATCHBACK LOSES CONTROL WHILE IN MOTION AT APPROXIMATELY 15 MILES PER HOUR, AS I WAS TURNING LEFT ONTO A TWO LANE STREET. THE CAR LOST STEERING CONTROL SKIDDING OFF THE ROADWAY IN THE DIRECTION ON-COMING TRAFFIC. THE FRONT CONTROL ARM WAS LYING ON THE GROUND DETACHED FROM THE FRONT DRIVER?S SIDE WHEEL. THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE WHEEL WAS WEDGED BETWEEN THE FRAME OF THE VEHICLE AND THE ROAD. I CONTACTED A TOWING…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 2, 2012Steering, Suspension, Structure, WheelsODI 10473317

Engine and engine cooling

21 reports1 fire
“WHILE HAVING A BASIC OIL CHANGE AT THE MITSUBISIHI/CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP WAS INFORMED OF THE HEAD GASKET LEAK. AUTOMOTIVE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THESE MOTORS AND A $1000 TO REPAIR.*AK”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 11, 2007Engine and engine coolingODI 10187561

Suspension

14 reports1 related recall
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL DETACHED FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO PULL THE VEHICLE OVER AND HAD IT TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE MECHANIC DIAGNOSED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE CONTROL ARM, AXLE, AND TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 206,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 12, 2019Steering, SuspensionODI 11186092

Steering

13 reports5 crashes
“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 MITSUBISHI ECLIPSE. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR A SAFETY ACT THAT WOULD REPLACE THE BALL JOINTS ON THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER REPLACED THE BALL JOINTS; HOWEVER, AFTER HE RETRIEVED THE VEHICLE, HE NOTICED THAT IT WAS PULLING TO THE RIGHT DUE TO THE TIRE ALIGNMENT. THE DEALER STATED THAT HE DID NOT NEED AN ALIGNMENT WITH THE REPLACEMENT OF THE BALL JOINTS. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND ANOTHER MITSUBISHI DEALER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NEED A FOUR WHEEL ALIGNMENT FOLLOWING THE REPLACEMENT OF THE BALL JOINTS. THE RECALL NUMBER WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 91,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 14, 2008Steering, SuspensionODI 10238140

Electrical system

8 reports2 fires
“CAR WILL COMPLETELY SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. WILL HAVE TO TRY TO RESTART THE CAR IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. , .SEVERAL MECHANICS AND EVEN THE MITSUBISHI DEALERSHIP HAD HOOKED IT UP TO THE COMPUTER, AND THEY WILL NOT GET ANY READINGS FOR THE PROBLEM. THEY SAID IT WAS BECAUSE OF BUILD UP IN THE EXHAUST, AND THEY CLEANED IT OUT, AND NOT EVEN 5 MILES DOWN THE ROAD IT STALLED AGAIN. REPLACED BELTS,GASKETS,SPARK PLUGS AND HOSES. THEY SAID THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT. WELL IF THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT I WOULDN'T BE SCARED TO DRIVE IT WITHOUT GETTING INTO AN ACCIDENT. *AK”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 16, 2007Electrical systemODI 10193494
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 30, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.